Golf ball tee-up apparatus for driving range

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for automatically setting a golf ball on a tee includes an escapement mechanism to isolate a single golf ball from a plurality of golf balls, a hingedly connected chute to channel a golf ball from the escapement mechanism to the tee, and means to raise and lower the chute from alignment with the tee to a position where it will not interfere with the swing of a golfer standing adjacent to the tee. A motor drives a pulley and chain. A cable is pivotally attached to the chain and to a free end of the chute. Rotation of the motor translates into linear movement of the cable, raising or lowering the chute. A helical coil spring may be imposed between the cable and the chute. A tab extending from the chute operates the escapement mechanism so that when the chute is in the raised position, only a single ball drops onto the chute.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to provisional patent application serial No. 60/260,257, filed Jan. 8, 2001, and herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to an apparatus for setting up individual golf balls on a golf tee at a bay or hitting station, such as a bay typically provided at a golf driving range. The present invention deals more particularly with such an apparatus that is capable of receiving golf balls from a storage chamber from which individual golf balls are fed to a point adjacent the tee area.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Golfers often use driving ranges for practice and improvement. Golfers at a driving range often identify, either mentally or through a coach, the specific cause of an improper swing immediately after hitting a ball. This identification may be facilitated or reinforced by viewing the ball trajectory. A phenomenon known as muscle memory aids in improving a specific cause of an improper golf swing when the next subsequent swing is taken soon after the first and with minimal bodily movements therebetween. Manually bending to take a ball from a basket and place it on a driving range tee abates the advantage of muscle memory since numerous muscles unrelated to those bearing on swing improvement undergo large movements in teeing up the next ball. An automatic tee-up device would avoid much of the diminishment of muscle memory so long as less muscle movement is required to actuate it than is required to manually tee up a ball. Such a device would aid in more rapidly improving the swing of golfers practicing at a driving range.

[0004] The present invention is directed toward curtailing or eliminating the aforementioned recurrent bending and standing at a golf driving range, which in itself may aggravate a golfer's pre-existing back pain. An apparatus according to the present invention may be used in series with certain golf ball gathering and processing machines, such as those described in co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,350,260, 5,332,350 and 5,228,168, to further automate processes at a golf driving range. For example, a golfer may manually deposit a basket of balls into a temporary storage basket that feeds an adjacent apparatus according to the present invention. More automated processes may include remotely feeding from a central storage container an apportionment of golf balls via pneumatically driven tubes to a similar storage chamber proximal to the tee, or feeding a predetermined number of balls individually to an apparatus of the present invention as the golfer hits the previous ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for teeing up individual golf balls at a hitting station is provided comprising a tee for supporting a golf ball at the hitting station and delivery means for providing golf balls at the hitting station. A golf ball passageway is also provided for transporting the golf balls seriatim from the delivery means to the tee. The golf ball passageway is movable between a lowered position that is below the tee, and a raised position wherein at least an exit end portion of the passageway is vertically higher than a top of the tee. The apparatus also includes means for moving the passageway between the lowered and raised positions, and an escapement mechanism to release each golf ball from the delivery means onto the tee when the passageway is in the raised position.

[0006] Also according to the present invention is an apparatus for setting a golf ball on a tee, comprising a chute defining a first end and an opposing second end for transporting the golf ball to the tee, and escapement means for separating an individual golf ball from a plurality of golf balls and for delivering the individual golf ball to a first end of the chute. This apparatus further includes means for moving the chute between a first position clear of the tee so the ball on the tee can be struck by a swinging club, and a second position wherein the second end of the chute is vertically higher than a top of the tee.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with certain portions cut away.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a view along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with a movable platform of the apparatus in a raised position

[0009]FIG. 3 is a view along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with a movable platform of the apparatus in the lowered position.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a view along section line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a partial view along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing selected components of a ball weighing mechanism and an adjustable tee height mechanism.

[0012]FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the mechanism that raises and lowers the movable platform.

[0013]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of the cycle for the mechanism of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] A fuller appreciation for the present invention may be achieved by reference to the associated illustrations, wherein FIGS. 2 and 3 show elevational cross sections exposing some essential components of the preferred embodiment in differing positions. FIG. 1 provides an overview wherein a right-handed golfer at a driving range would stand at position A and would drive a golf ball 12 mounted on a tee 14 downrange toward the top of the illustration. Throughout this description, vertical is parallel to a gravitational force and horizontal is perpendicular thereto.

[0015]FIG. 1 depicts a golf ball 12 restrained against gravity by an escapement mechanism 18 from entering a first end 40 of the chute 20 until the chute 20 is in a raised position. The golf ball 12 then travels down the chute 20 until abutting against a stop 50, at which time it falls through a tee opening or void 28 on the underside of the chute 20 and rests upon a tee 14. The chute 20 is attached to a movable platform 26 that is attached to a fixed platform 30 at a hinge 36. A finishing section 37 remains fixed, and hides from view the underside of the movable platform 30. Once the golf ball 12 rests on the tee 14, the movable platform 26 is moved to its lowered position by a mechanism within the cabinet 48, detailed later herein.

[0016] A plurality of golf balls may be retained within a storage basket 16 located proximal to the cabinet 48. A conduit 70 allows golf balls to move between the storage basket 68 and the chute 20 in a single file line of balls. The conduit may be straight or curved, may hold one or several balls, and can itself constitute a storage chamber. The escapement mechanism 18 is located along the conduit and allows only a single ball to pass onto the chute 20 at a time.

[0017] The chute 20 is movable between a raised position illustrated in FIG. 2, and a lowered position illustrated in FIG. 3. The chute 20 is mounted to a movable platform 26 and defines a tee opening or void 28 large enough for a golf ball 12 to pass via gravity. Immediately adjacent to the void 28 is a stop 50 disposed to prevent a golf ball 12 rolling along the chute 20 from passing beyond an axis of vertical alignment 52. An axis of vertical alignment 52 is hereby defined as any vertical axis passing through both the golf ball's center of gravity and a portion of the tee 14. The axis of vertical alignment is not limited to the central axis of rotation of the golf tee, but includes any vertical line passing through the golf ball center of gravity and falling within a circle defined by the top of the golf tee.

[0018] The movable platform 26 is hingedly mounted at one end to a fixed platform 30 at a hinge 36. A first end 40 of the chute 20 is attached to a motor means that moves the first end 40 between the lowered (FIG. 3) and raised (FIG. 2) positions via mechanical connections described below. In the raised position, a single golf ball is released by the escapement mechanism 18 into the first end 40 of the chute 20. The ball 12 rolls via gravity along the chute 20 until abutment with the stop 50. This puts the golf ball 12 on an axis of vertical alignment 52 with the tee 14. The golf ball 12 then falls via gravity through the void 28 onto the tee 14. The movable platform 26 is then retracted to a lowered position, shown in FIG. 3, so that it will not interfere with a golfer's swing at the ball 12. The lowered position is that position wherein the first end 40 of the chute 20 lies vertically lower than the top 38 of the tee 14.

[0019] A mechanical assembly to raise and lower the first end 40 of the chute 20 is preferably substantially enclosed within a cabinet 48 to protect the assembly from rain, snow, and the occasional erratic golf swing. FIG. 4 portrays a view of the mechanical assembly along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 shows the same assembly schematically. The mechanical assembly comprises a motor 32 with a driven pulley 42 attached to a rotating axis thereof, and a means to transfer motion such as a belt, chain, cable, or rope 44 (hereinafter referred to only as a chain) passing about the driven pulley 42 and a freewheeling pulley 54. A transition cable 56 has a first end 58 pivotally attached to the chain 44 via an anchor 60, and a second end 62 attached to an upper hook 64 of a means to extend under tension, such as a helical coil spring 34. The means to extend under tension may alternatively include resiliently deformable plastic, elastic, rubber, or similar materials that are extensible under tension and regain their original dimension upon release of tensile force. A lower hook 66 of the helical coil spring is attached near but offset from the first end 40 of the chute 20 so as not to obstruct a ball from entering the chute.

[0020] The motor 32 operates through the chain 44 and the cable 56 to lower the entire spring 34 and place the first end 40 of the chute 20 in the lowered position 22 of FIG. 3 so that a golfer may swing at the teed up ball unencumbered. As the motor 32 drives the chain 44, the transition cable 56 raises or lowers the spring 34 in its entirety without extending it appreciably. The same operation may be accomplished by eliminating he spring and using a somewhat longer transition cable than the one depicted to account for the additional length lost by the spring. However, the best mode encompasses the spring as shown so that a golfer stepping on a raised or rising platform will merely drive the platform to its lowered position (or prevent it from rising) by extending the spring rather than by damaging the device. The spring also extends modestly between the time when the movable platform first reaches its uppermost position and the time when the transition cable is drawn in to its maximum extent (as shown in FIG. 6 with the anchor at the lowest point of the freewheeling pulley). This ‘overshoot’ range positively ensures the motor brings the chute to the proper raised position.

[0021] The escapement mechanism provides only a single golf ball 12 from a storage basket 16 to the chute 20 at a time. A storage chamber may be internal to the cabinet 48, may be mounted adjacent thereto as the basket shown in FIG. 1, or may be remote as when the present invention is combined in series as explained in the “Background” section herein. One embodiment of the escapement mechanism employs a gate system. In this embodiment, a release gate and a retention gate are fixedly attached to each other and flank either side of a single ball nearest the chute. The release gate is positioned on the side of the ball nearest the chute and the retention gate is adjacent to the opposing side of the ball.

[0022] When the chute is in the lowered position, the release gate is closed to prevent any golf balls from passing through, and the retention gate is open so that a plurality of golf balls lie in an uninterrupted line or aggregation leading toward the chute. When the chute rises to the raised position, an extension or tab protruding from the chute simultaneously drives the retention gate upward into a position that blocks the passage of golf balls behind the retention gate, and drives the release gate upward into a position that allows the passage of golf balls. The retention gate physically isolates the golf ball nearest the chute from other balls in a line or aggregation behind it, so that only the golf ball nearest the chute is unencumbered by the retention gate in this position. The release gate and retention gate are fixedly attached to each other so that they simultaneously operate. As one is moved into position to block the passage of a golf ball toward the chute, the other is moved from a similar but offset blocking position. When the rising chute drives the release gate upward and above the conduit, the golf ball nearest the chute passes via gravity onto the raised chute, but golf balls behind it are held back by the retention gate that is moved into a blocking position. When the chute is subsequently lowered, the release gate drops via gravity into the blocking position that obstructs the conduit and prevents any golf balls from passing toward the chute. The retention gate simultaneously drops from its blocking position to a position below the conduit that does not obstruct movement of golf galls toward the chute. The remaining uninterrupted line or plurality of balls is thereby held back by the release gate only. The gates may be located proximal to the chute, or remotely therefrom by using an actuator other than an extension of the chute. Alternatively, a rotating escapement mechanism such as that shown in co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,228,168 and 5,350,260 may be used, adapted for a single ball and hereby incorporated by reference. Other prior art teachings and knowledge in the art for isolating one ball from several in a line may also be easily adapted to serve as the escapement mechanism.

[0023] An actuator switch may also be appended to the motor so that a golfer may manually actuate the motor to begin the cycle of teeing up the next subsequent golf ball. This switch may be manually operated by foot, by golf club, or by hand. Alternatively, minor modifications can make the switch automatic. Examples of automatic sensors to initiate an automatic cycle include an optical or ultrasonic sensor located either within the cabinet or below the tee. Another example is a weighing mechanism connected to the tee itself. Any of these sensors could detect when a ball is present upon the tee by light or sound reflection from the ball or by weight on the tee. When the sensor detects the absence of a ball on the tee, the sensor causes the motor to be actuated and the next golf ball to be delivered to the tee.

[0024] One embodiment of an automatic sensor to initiate teeing up of the next subsequent ball coupled with a manually adjustable tee height is illustrated in FIG. 5. This shows a view along a portion of the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with only the components relevant to the sensor and tee height mechanism depicted. The fixed platform 30 and movable platform 26 are as previously described. The tee 14 is fixedly mounted near one end of a tee arm 72. The tee arm 72 is mounted at a pivot 73 to a carrier arm 74, which is itself hingedly mounted at one end to a mount 76. Rotation of the tee arm with respect to the carrier arm is mechanically limited. Due to oversize driver club heads, the best mode contemplates this mechanically limited rotation allow the tee to move vertically at least one inch. The pivot 73 is positioned such that, absent a weight on the tee 14, the tee 14 is biased to a raised position as shown. A load cell device 78 having a pressure sensor 80, such as a piezoelectric element, is fixedly attached to the end of the carrier arm 74 nearest the mount 76 such that the pressure sensor 80 is positioned above the tee arm 72. The carrier arm defines a free end opposite the mount. A rigid bracket 82 defines an upstanding arm 84 and a laterally extending arm 86, and is positioned such that the carrier arm free end rests on the laterally extending arm 86. The bracket 82 is hingedly mounted to a bracket mount 88. The upstanding arm 88 is attached to one end of a cable 90, preferably a rigid sheathed cable that can drive the upstanding arm in tension or compression. Extension or retraction of the cable 90 causes the bracket 82 to pivot about the bracket mount 88, raising or lowering the laterally extending arm 86, the corresponding free end of the carrier arm 74, and ultimately the tee 14. The cable 90 does not forcibly lock into position. This helps prevent damage by allowing the carrier arm 74 and/or the bracket 82 to rotate, should a person step on or force down the tee 14.

[0025] The cable 90 leads into the cabinet 48, and is therein connected to a lever arm 92 that is itself hingedly connected at a lever arm pivot 94 to the cabinet 48 or to a suitable support member. A handle 98 opposite the lever arm pivot 94 extends beyond the cabinet 48 for manual positioning of the tee height by a golfer. The handle, and thus the tee height, is held in place by non-locking physical detents or by friction. Preferably, the cable 90 connects to the lever arm 92 at a point between the pivot 94 and the handle 98. This results in movement of the tee 14 in a direction commensurate with that of the handle 98, as a convenience to the golfer using the tee up apparatus.

[0026] When a ball is on the tee 14, the tee arm 72 is depressed against its bias to rest against a mechanical stop in a position approximately parallel to the carrier arm 74. When there is no ball or additional weight on the tee, the tee arm 72 pivots relative to the carrier arm 76 as shown in FIG. 5 to raise the tee 14 a modest distance, preferably more than one inch vertically. This raised tee position simultaneously lowers the end of the tee arm 72 adjacent to the load cell device 78. The load cell device is mounted to the carrier arm 74, but its pressure sensor 80 lies over the tee arm 72. Rotation of the tee arm 72 relative to the carrier arm 74 either loads or unloads the pressure sensor. The load cell device 78 is electrically connected to the motor (FIGS. 2-3) to initiate a ball tee-up cycle when the pressure sensor 80 is unloaded after being loaded. The cycle of teeing up subsequent balls is set forth in detail below and in FIG. 7. After the final ball in a golfer's apportionment of balls is hit off the tee, the load cell device may cause the motor to cycle one last time with no ball being placed upon the tee, but the motor will not continuously cycle since the pressure sensor remains unloaded. An additional switch or sensor indicating the presence or absence of a ball behind either the release gate or the retention gate can be deployed to prevent the final moot cycling of the motor and movable platform. The function of the load cell device may be performed by a microswitch having a plunger positioned over the tee arm, or any number of alternative sensing devices known in the art that could be wired to actuate the motor.

[0027]FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting the cycle of loading a first and successive balls onto the tee. The cycle is initiated when a golfer first approaches the tee, which has no ball upon it and which is biased to the raised position as described above. The golfer taps the tee with his club, shoe, or other implement per block 102. This depresses the tee, causing the tee arm to impose a load on the load cell device. Once the club or implement is removed from the tee, the tee rises again in block 104 due to its bias, and the load cell device is unloaded. This loading and unloading cycle on the load cell device actuates the motor in block 106, raising the platform/chute in block 108. An extension or tab from the raised platform/chute actuates the escapement mechanism in block 110.

[0028] The logic table then branches off in block 112 depending upon whether or not a golf ball is present. If a golf ball is present in a position to be released down the chute in block 112 (i.e. at the escapement mechanism), that ball passes down the chute in block 114 and comes to rest on the tee. The motor continues to operate and brings the platform/chute to the lowered position in block 116. Further rotation of the motor causes a magnet embedded in the anchor to pass a magnetically sensitive switch, depowering the motor in block 118 and leaving the platform/chute in the lowered position. Simultaneous with the action of blocks 116 and 118, the ball that proceeded down the chute and onto the tee in block 114 depresses the tee, causing the tee arm to impose a load on the load cell in block 120. The ball rests on the tee in block 120 until hit by a golfer in block 122. When so hit, the tee rises and the load from the tee arm is removed from the load cell, reinitiating the cycle at block 104. So long as a golf ball is present, the cycle is interrupted only while a golf ball on the tee awaits being hit by a golfer.

[0029] When there is no ball in a position to move down the chute in block 112, the motor continues to cycle to lower the platform in block 116A the same as it did in block 116, but no golf ball has passed down the chute. The motor operates until the magnet passes the magnetically sensitive switch in block 118A, causing the motor to depower with the platform in the lowered position exactly as it did in block 118. However, the tee is not depressed and the load cell remains unloaded since no golf ball passed down the chute and onto the tee. The cycle then stops with the chute in the lowered position and no ball on the tee until re-initiated at block 102 by a golfer manually depressing the tee as previously described. Absent an additional switch to sense the presence of a ball at the escapement mechanism (not shown in FIG. 7), one additional cycle operates after the last ball is hit from the tee, causing the platform/chute to raise and lower once without depositing a ball on the tee.

[0030] The preferred embodiment employs a magnetically activated switch (not shown) fixedly mounted adjacent to the top of the driven pulley as a control means to limit each actuation of the motor to one cycle. When the platform is in the lowered position, the anchor is at the top of the driven pulley. Upon actuation of the motor, the anchor traverses one revolution about the path defined by the chain. A magnet is embedded within the anchor. When the anchor reaches the top of the driven pulley after completing one revolution as above, the proximity of the magnet embedded within anchor to the magnetically activated switch causes the switch to trip, interrupting power to the motor. The motor is actuated again only by the loading and unloading of the load cell device as described previously.

[0031] To better withstand extended periods of exposure to the weather, the fixed and movable platforms are preferably constructed of aluminum. The top surface upon which persons stand is covered in synthetic turf (shown in hatched cross section in FIGS. 2-5), similar to conventional tee boxes and hitting stations at driving ranges. Visual indicators such as different shades of turf, intrinsic warning signs or caution stripes may be incorporated in the covering to show a golfer which portion is the movable platform upon which he/she should not stand. Top and bottom portions of the platforms are made of sheet aluminum, the top being supported by aluminum structural members therebetween and best detailed in FIG. 6. The movable platform includes biasing means to aid in raising it, preferably torsion springs along the hinges though pneumatic cylinders should also suffice. These biasing means are primarily to assist in manual raising of the movable platform during maintenance or repair. Where torsion springs are employed, a sheet of teflon®, plastic, or other durable material is fixed as a skid or wear plate between the sheet aluminum and the end of the torsion spring to prevent friction damage to the aluminum. It is preferable to employ a wide movable platform (spanning top to bottom of FIG. 1), at least twice a person's shoulder length, to prevent foreign debris and seeping rainwater from compromising operation of the device. One advantage of the present invention is its low height (between top and bottom aluminum plates, not including synthetic turf); approximately 1.1 to two times the diameter of a regulation golf ball. This low height allows an apparatus according to the present invention to be placed directly upon an existing concrete tee box without the need to chisel concrete or otherwise change existing driving range tee boxes. A higher apparatus may require a recess below so that a golfer is not hitting from a platform that is raised excessively as compared to hitting positions at a golf course. A keyed switch mounted on the cabinet is employed to lock out power to the apparatus when the golf driving range is closed or when the apparatus is being serviced.

[0032] While several illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, additional modifications and substitutions will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for teeing up individual golf balls at a hitting station, comprising: a tee for supporting a golf ball at the hitting station; delivery means for providing golf balls at the hitting station; a golf ball passageway for transporting the golf balls seriatim from the delivery means to the tee, said passageway being movable between a lowered position that is below the tee and a raised position wherein at least an exit end portion of the passageway is vertically higher than a top of the tee; and means for moving the passageway between the lowered and raised positions, and an escapement mechanism to release each golf ball from the delivery means onto the tee when the passageway is in the raised position.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a movable platform defining the passageway, and defining a tee opening that surrounds the tee when the passageway is moved between the lowered and the raised positions.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a fixed platform adjacent to the movable platform for supporting a person standing at a position to strike a ball on the tee with a club.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the movable platform is hingedly mounted.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the means for moving the passageway comprises motor means and control means for cyclically operating said motor means for moving the movable platform from the lowered or the raised position toward the other of the lowered or the raised position to deliver each ball in turn to the tee.
 6. An apparatus for setting a golf ball on a tee comprising: a chute defining a first end and an opposing second end for transporting the golf ball to the tee; escapement means for separating an individual golf ball from a plurality of golf balls and delivering the individual golf ball to the first end of the chute; and means for moving the chute between a first position clear of the tee so the ball on the tee can be struck by a swinging club, and a second position wherein the second end of the chute is vertically higher than a top of the tee.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for moving the chute includes a movable platform defining a free end adjacent to the chute first end, and an opposing hinged end.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for moving the chute further includes a mechanical assembly that moves the chute through a discrete cycle, said cycle comprising moving the chute from the first position to the second position and back again to the first position.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the mechanical assembly includes a motor, a driven pulley attached thereto, control means for cyclically operating said motor, an opposing pulley, and means to transfer motion from the driven pulley to the opposing pulley.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mechanical assembly further includes means to extend under tension interconnecting the means to transfer motion with the first end of the chute.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the driven pulley turns in only one direction during the cycle.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the motor operates continuously during the cycle.
 13. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the escapement means includes two gates arranged such that at any given time only one gate blocks a plurality of golf balls from passing along a channel, said channel aligning at least two balls in a single file.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the two gates are spaced from each other laterally along the channel by a distance x such that d≦×<2d, wherein d is the diameter of the golf ball.
 15. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the chute comprises: a stop positioned to prevent an individual golf ball from being transported beyond an axis that defines vertical alignment of the ball with the tee; and a void adjacent to the stop through which the golf ball may pass from the chute onto the tee.
 16. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for moving the chute includes a sensor that actuates a motor, said sensor selected from the group consisting of mechanical sensors, electrical sensors, load cells, optical sensors, or ultrasonic sensors.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the sensor automatically actuates the motor when the tee moves from a first position to a second position.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the tee is mounted at one end of a lever arm and the sensor is actuated by an opposing end of the lever arm.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the sensor is positioned to be operable by a person standing adjacent to the tee.
 20. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising adjustment means to fix a top of the tee at a vertical position, said adjustment means manually operable by a person standing adjacent to the tee. 